Like always, the Coverciano morning slipped by quietly.
Some players caught up on sleep, others wandered through the common room or out across the grounds, trying to make use of the unexpected free time before the afternoon session.
When training finally came around, the squad gathered in the dressing room and changed into the federation kit before heading out together.
There, the coaching staff were already waiting.
One by one, GPS vests were fitted beneath the players' shirts.
The staff moved efficiently from player to player, checking the monitors before sending them onto the pitch.
The purpose of the session became obvious within minutes.
There were no tactical boards, no shape work and no rehearsed patterns of play.
It was fitness, and it was two relentless hours of it.
It started with running, acceleration drills, repeated sprints, and then moved on to recovery runs that barely felt like recovery.
